Forensic Workshop: Bare Bones with Kerri Nelson

Bare Bones: Forensics Basics for Writers

Permission to forward granted and encouraged.

Sponsored by: Heart of Texas Chapter of RWA

Date: January 16-27

Cost: $20.00 for non-chapter members, $15.00 chapter members.

Send payment via paypal by clicking http://bit.ly/A8VClO

After payment you will receive an invitation to join hotrwabarebones yahoo loop.

Course Description:

Want to add a little chemistry to your writing? This course will take you
through the all the forensics basics that you'll need to know to ramp up the
suspense in your novel.

Lessons Include:

Who's Who (Forensics Professionals & Experts)

Going Ballistic (Firearms & Bullets)

The Fine Print (Fingerprints & Handwriting Analysis)

Let's Get Natural (Insects, Nature, & Trace Evidence)

The Talking Dead (Autopsies & DNA)

Make science fun as we delve into these topics and more during this 2 week crash
course in all things forensic-ally fun!

Instructor Bio:

Kerri Nelson discovered her love of writing at an early age and soon became a
columnist for her local newspaper winning the Outstanding Young Journalist of
the Year Award for her efforts. After a fifteen year career in the legal field,
Kerri fulfilled her lifelong dream of publication and is now an award winning
multi-published author of nearly every genre under the sun (and moon) and also
writes young adult fiction under the penname K.G. Summers.

A true southern belle, she comes complete with a dashing, stately gentleman and
three adorable children for whom she often bakes many homemade treats. Kerri is
an active member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America as well as
numerous chapters including Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal Writers and the Kiss
of Death Chapter for mystery/suspense authors. She owns and operates The Book
Boost (an affordable author promotion company) and offers personal online
tutoring & mentoring for authors through her Tutor Me Write service.

Read more about Kerri's books at her website: www.kerrinelson.com

Follow her on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/kerribookwriter

Visit her industry blog here: www.thebookboost.blogspot.com

Great Reviews for A Marshal of Her Own

I'm thrilled with these reviews. Please take a look.

Romancing the Book

Review by Sarah L.: "This is the first story I have read of Ms. LaRoque's and it will not be the last. This was a very sweet, short romance which is the 2nd book in the series. As usual, I always wonder when I'm reading books out of order if I'm missing anything. Even though Charity is a supporting character in this story and I want to read her story, it did not detract in any way by not having read her story first."


To read the full review, go to http://www.romancing-the-book.com/2011/12/review-marshal-of-her-own-by-linda.html
 
The Romance Reviews
 
Review by Katie Cody:  "They don't make men like they used. Luckily for Dessa, she has a chance at one of the Wild West's hunkiest marshals. Now all she has to do is stay alive."
 
The full review can be found at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=4371
 
Buy Links for A Marshal of Her Own:
The Wild Rose Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
 
Happy Reading and Writing!
 
Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Guess Who'll be Reading on a New Kindle this Christmas?

Here sits the sack of entries I've carefully added names to for almost a month. This morning I stirred the names up real good and called on my husband one more time. (He's been picking ebook winners for me.) He stuck his hand in the sack, stirred again, and pulled out the name....Debra Jupe.

Congratulations, Debra. Send me your snail mail address and I'll order your Kindle and get them to put it in the mail to you.

Thank you all for participating in my blog tour and helping me celebrate the release of A Marshal of Her Own and Born in Ice. If you haven't bought your copies, I hope you'll do so soon or put them on your Christmas wish list.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Quess Who'll be Wearing This Typewriter Pin?

P. L. Parker's name was drawn from the hat this morning. Congratulations P. L., you're the winner of this beautiful vintage rhinestone typewriter pin. It's symbolic of the typewriter Dessa received in A Marshal of Her Own.

Thanks to all who entered. There is still time to enter the Born in Ice contest for a rhinestone frog pin. Sign up for my newsletter by using the form to the right. If you're already receiving my newsletter, send an email to linda@lindalaroque.com with Born in Ice in the subject line.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Blog Hop Continues with A Little Confusion

Or maybe I should say alot of confusion. I must apologize. Toward the end of the tour, there was a conflict on dates, I thought I had it straight and omitted the wrong person from the tour. I do apologize. My only defense is illness in the family--my cousins husband has been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer which is melanoma. They are constantly in my thoughts and I've made two trips to the Fort Worth area. Plus, I will have been on 25 blogs in 23 days and am a bit dizzy.

Anyway, I'm posting the final days of the tour again. I know it's a busy and crazy time of year and time is limited, but please stop by if you can.

Dec. 12 – Liz Flaherty - http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/

Dec. 13 - Joanne Renaud - http://www.joannerenaud.com/wordpress/

Dec. 14 – J.D. Revezzo - http://harshadpassion.wordpress.com/

Dec. 15 – Rachel Ferasek - http://www.rachelfirasek.com/ - Christmas Wish 3 books I’d like to have and blurb, etc.

Drawing for the Kindle will be December 16, 2011.

Thanks! Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Blog Hop - Kindle Give-a-Way Continues

Installment #8 of Born in Ice on Lisa's World of Books Monday Dec. 12th. Just two more installments after this one. Drawing for the Kindle will be December 16th. Hopefully it will arrive in the selectees mailbox before Christmas.

To see those who received ebooks, scroll down to the original blog hop posting.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Katherine Grey's Holiday Traditions

I'm pleased to have Katherine Grey on my blog today. She's sharing her favorite holiday traditions and a recipe. I hope you'll leave a comment and share some of your special traditions.

Holiday Traditions

Everyone I know has at least one holiday tradition they look forward to every year from Black Friday shopping to family gatherings to attending that one special holiday party every year.

I have two traditions I look forward to. One is to watch Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I’m well past the age of believing in Santa Claus and flying reindeer, but it’s just not Christmas if I don’t watch Rudolph. Every year, the night it’s on, I get in bed, prop up my pillows, and snuggle under my big fluffy comforter and watch the cartoon while my cat curls up at my feet. Of course, there’s always a cup of hot chocolate involved too.

The most important tradition though is making Christmas cookies with my mom. She started teaching me to cook when I was four years old. Every December we would make cut out cookies in various holiday shapes. She would mix the dough on a Friday evening and put it in the refrigerator over night. My brothers and sisters and I would take turns peering into the refrigerator at the bowl of dough and asking when it would be ready for baking.

Finally, Saturday afternoon would come and she’d pronounce it ready. She would roll it out and place the cutters on the dough. Each one of my siblings and I would get a turn to push the cutters down into the dough. My mom would peel away the excess, put the cut out pieces onto a baking sheet and into the oven. We’d repeat the process over and over until every scrap of dough had been formed into a cookie.

Rows and rows of angels, reindeer, snowmen, Christmas trees, holly leaves, tree ornaments, and Santa Claus cookies would fill one end of the table to cool then be packed away until the next day, the most important day of all – the day we would frost them.

My mom would make the frosting and allow each one of us to stir drops of food coloring into bowls of white icing. We’d have a rainbow of colors and little bottles of colored sugar to decorate the cookies with. We’d spend the afternoon decorating the cookies, making sure the Santa cookies were frosted red and white to represent his suit, the snowmen white with a strip of yellow around his neck and down his stomach to represent his scarf. Christmas trees had brown frosting for the trunk and green frosting for the leaves and a dot of yellow at the top for the star just to describe a few. When we were finished, my mom would lay them on wax paper to set. We would ooh and ah over them like they were the most magnificent cookies ever made.

My brothers and sisters are all married with children now and building their own holiday traditions but for two days every December my siblings and I gather together and make Christmas cut out cookies with my mom. It’s a tradition I hope we’re able to continue for many years to come.

My mom asked that I not share our special cut out cookie recipe but here’s one that’s just as special.


Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup Crisco shortening

1 egg

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup quick-cooking rolled oats

*½ cup chopped walnuts

A small dish of granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the first 6 ingredients (the flour through the salt). Add the Crisco, egg and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in the oats and nuts. Form into small balls. Dip the tops of the balls in the additional dish of granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies

*I sometimes substitute the walnuts for craisins.


Below is the blurb for Katherine’s debut novel, Impetuous.

Mateo de Montayas, an impoverished Spanish count, comes to England to recover a stolen family heirloom and to satisfy his hunger for revenge against the man who destroyed his family. Arriving in London, he learns his hated enemy died three years before but has left behind a daughter. What better way to retrieve the heirloom and exact revenge than to use her to his advantage?

Teresa Darlington will do anything to keep scandal away from her frail mother and prove her father wasn't a thief, even risk her reputation in a race to find the missing heirloom before the Count does. But she didn't count on falling in love with the man determined to ruin her family. Can she find the heirloom before he does and protect her family, or will her heart lead her in a different direction?

You can purchase a copy at any of the following links:

The Wild Rose Press:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=905

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Impetuous-ebook/dp/B005J7K52M/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impetuous-katherine-grey/1105052736?ean=2940013040984&itm=4&usri=impetuous#CustomerReviews


You can learn more about Katherine on her blog and Facebook page.

Blog: http://katherinegreyblogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katherine-Grey/265375626827267?sk=wall

Thank you for joining us today, Katherine. I can't believe your mom wouldn't let you share the cut-out cookie recipe :-(  but I love oatmeal cookies.


Readers, please leave a comment for Katherine.


Happy Reading and Writing!


Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Ebook Recepients for My Blog Tour

Scroll down to http://lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-tour-24-blogs-win-kindle.html and take a look. As the ebooks are given away I'm listing the winners here.

Tomorrow is installment #5 of Born in Ice on Nikki Duncan's blog at http://nikkiduncan.com/blog/. I hope you're following along.

Linda

Christmas with W. Lynn Chantale

Welcome W. Lynn Chantale as she shares her family Christmas traditions and her Christmas release. Thank you, Lynn for being here today.

Can you sense the excitement in the air? Here, in Michigan it’s a little colder and we’re gearing up for a harsh winter. At least that’s what the weather man says. No snow yet, but there’s something else. Christmas!


Christmas, for me, is snow and family. I love spending time with my loved ones. A couple of our traditions is to open gifts at home, then travel to my Dad’s for breakfast. Driving to Dad’s is a little more treacherous in the winter months as we live an hour and fifteen minutes away, but we make the trip, faithfully.

We’ve done this for at least eighteen years. My parents are divorced and remarried. All of us kids are now grown with children of our own. So on Christmas Day we’re cooking for at least 35 people, I may have missed a niece or two. As I’m usually the first to arrive I takeover help in the kitchen. The menu is simple. Pancakes, French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage, and caramel pecan sticky buns, or just sticky buns for the few who are allergic to nuts.

In all the time I’ve been away from my hometown we’ve only missed 1 Christmas. My hubby promised me that would never happen again. So even though Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, we’ll make our way up the highway to see Dad and the rest of the rest of the family.

I’d give you my sticky bun recipe, but my sister would kill me. So here’s my biscuit and gravy recipe that my family loves.

2c. flour
1/2 (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
3/4c milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease bottom only of biscuit pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir. Add butter. Using a fork mix in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Add milk. Dough can be rolled onto a floured board and cut using a biscuit cutter. Me, I’m lazy and take a forkful of dough and shape into rounds. Place biscuits in pan with sides touching. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Sausage Gravy

1/4 to 1/2lb of Bob Evans Sausage or your favorite.brand
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2c milk

In a 2 qt saucepan brown sausage. Drain and reserve 2TBLS of oil. Sprinkle dry ingredients over sausage. Gradually stir in milk. Stir until thickens. Boil about one minute. Serve alone or over hot biscuits.

Excerpt: Mistletoe Mambo in Christmas Treats #1 Anthology Santa’s Naught List



Blurb: Only one man dances to the music of Madeline’s heart.

She was aware of the crowd parting to accommodate their slow foxtrot, but she kept her focus on Max. Her knees wobbled so badly, if she ignored the intensity of his gaze she might stumble. He held her closer than necessary. Each glide of his hips brought his erection against her thigh. Surprised, she held her breath. Was it possible the attraction wasn’t one-sided, after all?

As if sensing her thoughts, he winged a brow. When his hand drifted lower on her hip, her heart thudded harder. Maybe he was flirting with her and merely used their dance as an excuse to hold her. Or perhaps this was wishful thinking on her part. Dancing wasn’t unusual at the Christmas party, but somehow dancing with him, knowing how she felt made the experience more exhilarating. Each brush of his pelvis sent an answering tremor through her body. She wanted more than three or four minutes in his arms. For a brief second, she rested her head on his shoulder. He tapped her right arm and she rotated into a spin. She completed two turns before he clasped her hand and drew her against the heat of his body once again.

She became lost in the depths of his eyes, glimpsing a longing she never noticed before as they circled the dance floor. The strength of his arm clasped her waist. The sure grip of his hand tightened on hers and the smooth texture of his trousers met her skin when he dipped her over his leg. Every nerve ending crackled at the sensual slide of his hard, powerful thigh beneath her bare back. He pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat and she forgot to breathe.

He stood her upright and glided them around the well-worn linoleum. Amazement must have shown on her face because he smirked. She followed his lead, too unsettled to do anything else. Did his little kiss mean he was interested, or was that just part of the dance? One more twirl around the floor, and then his steps slowed. Swaying in time to the music, he held her in his arms.

All too soon the song ended and they were forced to bow when thunderous applause cascaded through the room. Madeline pressed her hands to her cheeks while she struggled to catch her breath. She cast a sidelong glance at Max, his hand resting in the small of her back.

“I love dancing with you,” he whispered, leading her to the edge of the dance floor. “The scent of your perfume, the slide of your skin against mine, and when I lift you in my arms all I can think about is the way you would taste.” He squeezed her bottom.

Thank you for sharing with us today, Lynn. We too love biscuits and gravy. What a beautiful cover for your Christmas release. Best of luck with sales.

Please leave Lynn a comment.

Join me (Linda) today as my blog tour continues on Dawn Alexander's blog.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Meet Jill James, Romance Author

Hello readers. Meet Jill James, author of The Second Chance Series. Today she's sharing her newest release Divorce Interrupted. Welcome, Jill! I'm thrilled to have you on my blog today and thank you for having me on your blog. I enjoyed reading your blurb and excerpt. It sounds like a story filled with emotion.

Blurb:

Newly-divorced Todd and Lisa Miller are stranded at their mountain cabin. There to divide a lifetime of memories, they soon are in danger from more than the anger between them. A vicious storm forces them to rely on each other to survive.


Can they trust the one person they lost belief in? Or are their hearts in danger from more than floods and frigid weather?

Excerpt:

The wind crashed against the bay window in the front of the cabin. Lisa Miller jumped up and knocked over her chair. Her shaking hand flew to her chest. Her heartbeat pounded. “That one sounded like it went through the window.”

She peered around the doorway to the living room. She sighed in relief. The glass was still in one piece, although a large pine bough sat on the front porch. The wet needles stood out in bas-relief against the graying sky.

This had been a bad idea, she berated herself. She could’ve waited for the storm of the century to pass before she came up to the lake. Even with her husband, Todd, coming next week, she could’ve waited. A sob caught in her throat like a burr. Todd, her newly, the ink hardly dry on the divorce decree, ex-husband.

She righted the chair and fell into it. How had it come to this? She’d been in love with Todd for as long as she could remember. He’d been her first boyfriend, her first lover, and she’d been sure, her last.

Throwing her head back, Lisa stared at the ceiling. Finding no comfort in the familiar cedar logs, she brought her head down and gazed into space. Her sight unfocused, the kitchen viewed through a haze of tears she refused to shed.

Twenty years. Gone in an instant. Her abrupt decision to take her boss up on his umpteenth attempt at flirting. A nano-second to throw it all away. For what turned out to be mediocre sex at best. Todd had ruined her for any other man. He loved her with his heart and soul, and she’d trampled it for half the allotted time in a tawdry motel with hourly rates and smelly, overused sheets.

Jill is giving away an ecopy of Divorce Interrupted in either Kindle, Nook, or PDF format to one lucky commenter. Good luck!

Jill’s Links

Website: http://www.jilljameswrites.com/
Blog: http://www.jilljameswrites.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jill.James-author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jill_james
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jill_james

Divorce Interrupted Buy Links

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/3c3fvng
BN.com: http://tinyurl.com/3o864py
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/3pbwmkm

Please leave Jill a comment. Thank you for being here today Jill and best of luck with Divorce Interrupted.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/